


Balmâ

by Morgyn Leri (morgynleri)



Series: Agnu Ra Nutû [18]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Family, GFY, M/M, Secrets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-27
Updated: 2014-04-27
Packaged: 2018-01-21 01:01:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1531754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morgynleri/pseuds/Morgyn%20Leri
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"When were you going to tell me you had married?"</p><p>"Never." Nori twists his wrist in Dori's grip, testing the limits to which his brother will let him struggle. "It wasn't any of your business."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Balmâ

**Author's Note:**

> There are mouse-over translations for your convenience. :)

Nori is sitting at the table when Dori returns from his trip to the market in Dale, looking far more exhausted than he has in a long time. He watches as Dori directs the khazâd who have brought up the goods on where to set them, remaining almost unnaturally still until they're alone in the house once more.

"What were you shopping for?" Nori untucks the edge of the sacking across one of the baskets, fingering the fine wool fabric inside. "New clothes?"

"Among other necessary items." Dori unpacks the basket that holds the foods, taking them to the pantry to set them in their rightful place on the shelves. He comes back to Nori pulling a length of fine chain from one of the smaller baskets, and moves close enough to catch his brother if he tries to run. "When were you going to tell me you had married?"

Nori blinks, and Dori reaches out to wrap his hand around one of Nori's wrists, keeping him from bolting. It won't stop Nori from lying, but at least Dori can keep him there until he has a chance to try to get the truth out of Nori.

"Never." Nori twists his wrist in Dori's grip, testing the limits to which his brother will let him struggle. "It wasn't any of your business."

"It is when the formalities have been initiated, if rather later than they should have been." Dori meets Nori's gaze, holding it long enough to see the flare of panic in Nori's expression. "You didn't think Thorin would do that, did you?"

Nori is quiet for a long moment, and Dori almost doesn't think Nori will tell him.

"I thought if he was going to do that, he would have done it years ago." Nori shrugs, not looking at Dori. "It's just a bit of a surprise he's decided to do it now."

Dori is certain there's truth in there, but there's just as much a lie, and he can't tell where one ends and the other begins. "I gave him the blessing." He watches Nori's face, catching the flicker of surprise that is quickly hidden. "I also told him he owed me a price for the insult."

"It wasn't his choice alone to keep this informal." Nori meets Dori's gaze now, annoyance in his eyes. "You have no right to ask for anything from him."

"I do, and I will have the explanation for all of this from him, if I cannot have it from you." Dori meets Nori's gaze steadily, utterly unrepentant for his actions. "Why didn't you tell me, Nori?"

"It wasn't - and still isn't - any of your business what I do with Thorin." Nori yanks hard on his wrist, and Dori lets go with a sigh. He doesn't want his brother to leave, but he knows trying to keep Nori here will only make him leave sooner. "You've done all you need to do."

"No, I haven't." Dori moves away, beginning to unpack the hampers of fabric and trimmings. "You need new clothes just as much as I do, for the formal ceremonies." Dori keeps an eye on Nori, so he at least doesn't find himself talking to the air. "Unless you're going to run from this."

There's a moment that seems drawn almost to the breaking point before Nori slumps a little, dropping back into the chair he'd been in when Dori returned home. "No." A small smile crosses his face a moment. "I can't run from this."

Dori goes to put a kettle on the fire to make tea, sitting in the chair nearest Nori while waiting for the water to boil. "Why hide you were married to Thorin, without hiding that you were involved with him?"

Nori doesn't answer right away, reaching up to undo his hair instead, pulling a small bead free from a braid that had been hidden by one of the peaks he's fond of putting his hair up into. Setting the piece of mithril on the table between them, the marks small but visible. The maker's mark of Thorin, a claim worked into the most precious of metals to show anyone who could read that the one wearing the bead belonged to Thorin Oakenshield.

"Tulkhê ra uthrabhu." Nori's words are quietly spoken, his expression pensive. "Not Melhekhûn ra Anzurelûn. Just us, not the whole world."

It reminds him of Nori before everything changed, when it was just the two of them and their parents, together even if the world outside was a harsh and unwelcoming place. Nori had been hurt the most by their father's leaving, and never returning. Dying out in the world, and leaving them to the untender mercies of that same world.

Dori reaches out to cover Nori's hand without saying a word. There isn't anything he can really say to that, save what Nori already must know. No king - or his consort - is entirely their own person. And Nori will have to learn to live under the scrutiny of the world.

**Author's Note:**

> Title means "just us".
> 
> Translations in the text:
> 
> khazâd = dwarves  
> tulkhê ra uthrabhu = my smith and his thief  
> melhekhûn ra anzurelûn = (Male) King and (Male) Consort
> 
> Some words updated for the new dictionary. I rather liked keeping the old word for ruler (of a place, to the best I could figure out) for consort.


End file.
